National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia

The National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia (Spanish: Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia) was founded in 2003 following the dissolution of the Colombia Symphony Orchestra (Orquesta Sinfónica de Colombia) in December 2002. The Colombia Symphony Orchestra had been in operation since 1952 under the auspices of the government of Colombia and was dissolved as part of an extensive plan of state privatization. The Colombian National Symphony Orchestra is part of the National Association of Symphonic Music (Asociación Nacional de Música Sinfónica), a non-profit organization that receives extensive support from the Colombian government to maintain the orchestra and to provide financial support to the other professional symphony orchestras in the country.

From 2003 to 2007, the orchestra's artistic direction was run under the collegial management of three music directors: Luis Biava, who was conductor in residence of the Philadelphia Orchestra until 2004; Alejandro Posada, music director of the Symphonic Orchestra of Castile and Leon (Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León); and Eduardo Carrizosa, who was assistant conductor of the Bogota Philharmonic (Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá) until 2003. In 2007, and in pursue of a new model of artistic management, the Orchestra opened a search process for a new Principal Conductor and Artistic Director. In October 2008, Baldur Brönnimann was appointed Principal Conductor and Artistic Director. He held this position until 2012. The Colombian National Symphony Orchestra is, along with the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra, one of the most active orchestras in Colombia.